Anarchy's Girls
by KingdomGirlsWing
Summary: When Lorelai left Hartford, she ended up a little further than Stars Hollow. When she meets Chibs, well, that's where things get interesting. Set pre-series Sons of Anarchy and season 3 of Gilmore Girls. Alternate Universe. Beware of swearing.
1. Prologue

Anarchy's Girls

(-)

Hi. My name is Lorelai Leigh Telford, but everyone calls me Rory. Or, at least, most people call me Rory. There are some people who have taken it upon themselves to call me everything from 'Angel' to 'Bitch'. I prefer 'Siren', myself. After all, that's what my name means.

I'm the bastard daughter of two sixteen-year-olds from Hartford, Connecticut. My father, Christopher Hayden, was all prepared to marry my mother and raise me properly, but my mother refused. She waited three months, before clearing out her bank account, selling her car, taking me, and running from her parents and the life they represented. She ended up broken down in Charming, California. Mom got a job as a waitress in a restaurant, and another job as a maid at a hotel in town, where the owner would babysit me when Mom was working.

When I was around eight, and mom was twenty-four, she met Filip 'Chibs' Telford. By this time, we'd been exposed to the Sons of Anarchy for a good long while. I was best friends with Jax Teller and Opie Winston, who were the sons of Piney Winston and John Teller. Whenever mom was working one of the two jobs she had to work to make ends meet, I was usually with Gemma Teller or Mary Winston, and once or twice I ended up with Luann Delaney, but only in extreme times. I also spent a lot of time with Tara Knowles, and her parents. Tara and I are the same age, and in the same class at school, so we quickly banded together. I was the one to introduce Tara to Jax, actually, but that's a different story.

Where was I? Oh, right. Anyway, Mom was close to the club. Not in the sense that she was doing any of the members, or involved in club stuff, or really even knew what was going on, but she'd worked as a bartender at the bar owned by the Club, so she knew all the members. When Mom met Chibs, it was all over for her. At the time, Chibs was fresh off the truck into America, dumped off in Charming, and a Prospect for the Club. Mom fell hard for his Scottish accent, and it was all over from there. Chibs became a full member, and Mom took the Crow. And then she and Chibs married, and Chibs adopted me as his daughter.

What about my dad? Well, Christopher Hayden wasn't really in my life. I knew of him, but didn't really call him 'Dad'. Actually, Clay Morrow and John Teller were more of a father to me than Chris Hayden, but Mom would always tell me to be nice. Chris Hayden never remembered birthdays, and I received maybe three cards from him, and all wrong. I saw him at Christmas, when Mom and I would make the annual trip to Hartford and visit her parents, and it was always stiff and awkward. Finally, he gave up trying the year Mom pulled him off to the side and told him she was getting married, and that her new husband was going to adopt me. I've seen him maybe twice since then, but he tries to make an effort to call me, and he still sends me birthday wishes.

Well, time passed. When Jax was twelve, he lost his little brother Tommy, who died of the family heart defect. Jax was terrified, because when Tommy was born, it almost caused Gemma to die. I was ten at this point, and I was terrified for him, because Gemma was like a second mother to me as well. After that, Uncle John was never really the same. Before, he'd been the badass Uncle John, he smoked, he drank, he and Uncle Clay, along with Uncle Piney, always had this air of danger around them. Everyone respected them, and everyone not protected by them were terrified of them.

But after Tommy's death, John was...different. He started smiling more. Doing less club stuff. He started spending more time with Jax, which in turn meant Jax was spending less time with Tara, Opie, and I. Uncle John and Aunt Gemma started fighting a lot, and while they were always fighting, usually they'd start kissing and making out shortly after. But not anymore.

Three years after Tommy's death, Uncle John was riding his motorcycle, and was hit by a semi. He drug himself from the wreck, drug himself for two miles, before the ambulance finally caught up with him. And once he made it to the hospital, he lived for two days before finally dying from his injuries. Jax...something changed in Jax. He was fifteen. He and Opie had been talking a big game about Prospecting for the club as soon as they were old enough, but after John died, Jax went around like it was his personal lot in life, and Opie, having Jax's back, went along with him. They then became the youngest Prospects ever in the history of the Sons of Anarchy, at the ripe old age of sixteen. I swear, Gemma and Mary nearly killed them. That was the catalyst for Mary Winston leaving. She just packed her bags and left. Didn't even leave a note.

The next year, Tara and Jax hooked up. Tara's parents didn't want her anywhere near Jax or his motorcycle, but hell, them telling Tara she couldn't just made them work harder at being able to fuck around without being caught. Opie and I started dating not long after. Then, about three months ago, the day that I turned seventeen, Opie and Jax took Tara and I to the tattoo shop to get the Crow, the same day they got the Reaper.

Jax and Opie are nineteen, two years older. They've been in the club for three years. Because they were sixteen when they joined, they were forced to be Prospects until they were of legal age, meaning two years. When they turned eighteen, Clay and Piney brought them in for a vote, and while Clay and Piney were willing, some of the other members weren't convinced. Namely, Kyle Hobart, who hated the fact that they were willing to bend the rules just for the Original Nine's kids, and Tig, who wasn't convinced that they were old enough and mature enough just yet to be a member of the Sons. A year later, and here they were.

Chibs had convinced Lorelai to let me get the Crow, along the which I really don't want to know how. Mom was reluctant, but she couldn't disagree that I deserved to have the Crow. She didn't care about the tattoo, hell, the day I turned sixteen she and I got matching ones on our hearts, but it was more what the Crow represents. But she agreed after Chibs 'persuaded' her, and then kept on 'persuading' her long into the night. Thankfully, I was with Opie at the same time, otherwise I'd be driven insane with the thought of my dad and mom screwing in the next room. I just feel bad for my little brother, six years old and having to listen to that all night.

And so, that is how Tara and I got the Crow. We'd grown up seeing the Crow on the women we care about. Mom has the Crow and the rod of Asclepius, so symbolize the fact that she is the Old Lady of the Club Medic, Chibs. Gemma's tattoo is the Crow and the Reaper, meaning that she's the Old Lady of the original Son, John Teller. When she married Clay, she took the Crow again, this time on the inside of her left wrist, of the Crow and the symbol of chaos, symbolizing that she is the Old Lady of Clay Morrow.

Mom's tattoo is on the back of her neck, only visible when she has her hair up. Gemma's first tattoo is on her heart, right next to the scar from her open heart surgery after Tommy's birth. Tara decided to get her tattoo on the small of her back, despite my teasing that she was getting a tramp stamp. She got the Crow, and Jax promised that if he made VP like Clay told him he would, he'd take her here to get the Scythe added on.

I got the Crow on my side. My whole side. One wing starts on the underside of my left breast, and spans down to my hip bone, with the head of the Crow facing my navel, and the claws wrapping around to the back of my ribs. It hurt like a bitch, too, because I have almost no fat on my body and he was basically tattooing skin and bone. By the time he was done, tears were rolling down my face and Tara was staring at me in disbelief that I would do something that stupid, but I didn't care. Because I was now Opie Winston's Old Lady, come hell or high water.

Two weeks after I got the Crow, Mom found out that Grampa had a heart attack. So, she and Chibs started talking about moving us out to Connecticut to be closer in case something happened. Then, a month after that, just when our house went on the market and we started packing, Opie and Jax were on a run with Kyle Hobart, and it went south. Kyle set up Jax and Opie, took off when the cops arrived. Jax got off, because he was just a lookout, but Opie, well, Opie was convicted. He was in the wrong place, in the wrong time, and took the fall for Kyle. Kyle was ex-communicated, and Opie left to join Big Otto in Chino for five years.

Which brings us to present day. Chibs has been reduced to being a Nomad for a while, basing with the Hartford Charter, getting a job at the garage in the town we decided on, and Mom's opening a bar in Stars Hollow, the town we're moving to. She'd discovered that she really liked bartending, although she's got a keen eye for fake ID's and refuses to serve anybody under twenty-one, although she also realizes that we just get our alcohol from other places.

Namely, Chibs, Tig, Happy, and Luann.

I remember the day that Mom found out that Chibs had been sneaking Jax, Tara, Opie and I liquor since we turned fourteen. God, that was a loud night. Mom gave him the silent treatment all day, and then the two went at it like bunnies all night and the next day. I took my little brother and spent the night at Tara's to get away from them.

So here we are. I'm seventeen. A senior in high school. Smartest kid in my grade back in Charming. Mom's sending me to her former Alma mater, Chilton Prep in Hartford, and Chibs is forcing us all to my grandparents house every Friday night for dinner, since the whole reason that we moved all the way across the bloody country was to get closer to my mother's family. Mom's thrilled with that one.

And, to top it off, we moved into a town that's smaller and more sheltered than Charming. There is no criminal activity to speak of. I don't understand how. When Chibs rode in, decked out in his cut (minus a few patches), and sitting on his Harley Davidson Dyna, people stared in shock, like they'd never seen a motorcycle before. Well, they'd better get used to it. And don't get me wrong, I love small towns, but I just don't get how they can be this sheltered.

Oh well. One more year, then I'll be gone, back to Charming.

But Opie will still be in jail.

Damn.

Oh well. Might as well make the best of being stuck in Hell.

(-)

END


	2. Chapter 1

Anarchy's Girls

(-)

Rory Telford stared at the massive building in front of her. Then she looked back at her parents. Then back at the school. "And I really have to go to school here?" She asked, a note of pleading in her voice. Lorelai rolled her eyes. "Yes. You tested out of Stars Hollow High, so this is where you ended up. Now come on, this place makes my skin crawl." She added, shivering a little.

Rory looked at her parents. Chibs was leaning against the Jeep, arms around Lorelai's waist, sunglasses on the top of his head, and bare arms showing, having worn a beater underneath his cut. Lorelai had her hair up, and a tank top on, that not only wasn't long enough to cover her flat stomach, but was also showing both of her tattoos with pride, as well as a pair of tight jeans. And then Rory looked at herself again.

She and Lorelai had altered the school uniform to the absolute legal limits, but it was still horrible. The blue plaid skirt had been shortened to her mid-thigh, and the white shirt had been taken in and altered, so that it fit Rory's body snugly. She'd rolled the sleeves up, and the top two buttons had been undone, and the tie was hanging around her neck. The ring that Opie had given her the day he was locked away was still on her left ring finger, and Opie's gold club rings were on a chain around her neck. If you tried, you could see the dark outline of the crow through her white shirt, and the tattoo on her breast peaked out if you looked hard enough.

And with the look Chibs was giving some of the boys staring at her, nobody was likely to stare long enough.

With a sigh, Rory shouldered the messenger bag she'd stolen from Opie, and squared her shoulders. "Alright then. Let's get this over with." She said, taking a deep breath. She was Opie Winston's Old Lady, and she'd be damned if a school was going to get to her. Lorelai grinned, and pushed herself off of Chibs. "That's my girl." She said, before walking behind Rory. Then she let out a shriek as Chibs grabbed her, spinning her slightly, before he rested his arm around her shoulder and she wrapped hers around his waist.

Rory could feel the stares on her as she walked through the halls of Chilton. She knew most of them were because of her parents, but she knew a good many of them were for herself. Part of her, the part she never liked admitting was there, wished she could blend into the scenery and hide. But the part that was controlling, the one she embraced, was the part that was telling her that she was Rory Fucking Telford, the daughter of SAMCRO member Chibs Telford, and the daughter of Hartford Scandal Lorelai Gilmore, and the Old Lady of Opie Winston. And she'd be damned if she was going to cow down and let someone fuck her from behind.

Unless it was Opie.

Lorelai shook her head as she walked through the halls of the school she left when she got pregnant. She knew it wouldn't happen to Rory, because Rory was nothing if not loyal to Opie. Although, with the amount the two of them screwed, she was surprised that Rory hadn't gotten pregnant already. She knew the Headmaster would probably haze Rory, just because of Lorelai. But she also knew that Rory could take whatever was given and dish it back. And, if she couldn't, then all she had to do was make a phone call and SAMCRO would be in Hartford before anyone could blink.

When they were ushered into the Headmaster's office, they came face-to-face with a surprise. "Mom!" Lorelai exclaimed, staring. Chibs coughed a little, and Rory groaned. Emily Gilmore stood at five-foot-five, with short red hair, and the spitting image of a slightly older Lorelai. Or, she would be if Lorelai wore a Prada suit and Gucci heels. And had an embarrassed look on her face.

As it was, Lorelai wasn't too surprised to see her mother. Emily Gilmore loved to try and pull one over on her daughter, and rub it in her face that Rory was attending Lorelai's Alma Mater. Chibs raised a hand. "Emily, pleasure ta' see 'ya." He said, laying on the Scottish brogue thick. Emily gave him the same look she always did, disdain with a slight look of disgust. Rory rolled her eyes. Emily then faked a smile, and shook Headmaster Charleston's hand. "Well, Hanlin, it has been absolutely wonderful to see you. Give Bitty my love." She said, as Lorelai and Chibs turned to Rory.

Emily watched as Chibs wrapped Rory in a hug, and kissed her forhead. "Tha gaol agam ort, Angel." He murmured into Rory's ear, and she grinned and hugged him back. "Tha gaol agam ort-fhèin, Daddy." She murmured back, clutching his cut for a moment, before letting go. Then it was Lorelai's turn. The two clutched each other tightly, before Chibs finally pulled Lorelai away from her daughter and forced her out of the office, with Emily following.

As the trio walked back to the parking lot of Chilton, Chibs wrapped his arm around Lorelai's shoulders again. "Help me play hooky." He said into her ear, and Lorelai giggled a little, before shaking her head. "Can't. The previous owner of the Pub had a lot of debts, and I've got to try and sort out the mess that passes for paperwork in that office. Besides, you've only been at Gypsie's for three weeks, not the time to be calling in sick." She told him back, leaning her head on his shoulder.

Emily watched the two of them carefully. She'd never really seen Lorelai and her husband interact together, but even a blind person could tell they were completely in love. Then, when Chibs shifted his arm and wrapped it around her waist, Emily caught sight of Lorelai's tattoo. The Crow was in full view. Emily had known about the other tattoo, the one on Lorelai's breast, but she hadn't known about this one. And a Crow? Why in the world would she get a Crow?

"Lorelai, I really don't think it's appropriate for you to drop your daughter off at school looking like a hooker. I mean, honestly, at least cover the tattoo!" Emily scolded. She missed the way her daughter tensed, and missed Chibs wrapping both his arms around his wife's waist. "And for that matter, what posessed you to get a tattoo in the first place? Two, for that matter?" Lorelai opened her mouth to fire back an insult, before Chibs slapped a hand against her mouth and whispered something in her ear. Emily watched in amazement as the fight drained out of Lorelai and she sagged against her husband. Then Lorelai opened her mouth again. "Mom, the reason I got a tattoo was because of a major event in my life.

"My first tattoo was because of Rory, and because of my own freedom. I was eighteen, and I was finally, really, free. I worked two jobs, sure, and sure, I didn't get to spend as much time with my daughter as I liked, because of those jobs, but I was making it on my own. The Crow is a symbol in Charming, a symbol of belonging. I belong to Chibs, and he belongs to me and Rory. And the Crow is a symbol of that belonging. Besides, I liked it." Lorelai ended with a smirk.

Emily considered that. Then she shook her head. "I just hope you haven't tainted Rory with that. What a shame it would be to mar that perfect skin with ugliness of a tattoo." She commented, before walking past Lorelai and her husband, absently wondering why they were coughing. Must be the fresh air. "I'll see you at six on Friday, Lorelai. Do not be late."

Lorelai and Chibs waited until she was out of earshot before bursting into laughter. Then, as they reached the Jeep, Lorelai grabbed Chibs by the front of his cut and pushed him into the door. "Now, what were you saying about playing hooky?" She asked, before pushing her mouth against his.

(-)

Rory sighed as she walked through the halls, trying to find her first class. The school was like a maze, except with more turrets and dungeons. She supposed it was a bit like Hogwarts, except less fantasy and more...off with your heads. She adjusted the strap on her bag a little, before shaking her head as she finally reached her first classroom...five minutes late.

As she opened the door, every eye turned to stare at her. Rory pushed back the discomfort, and walked confidently up to the teacher. "Hi, sorry I'm late, I had a hard time finding the classroom. I'm Rory Telford." She introduced, tilting her head a little. The teacher gave her a stern look, and then looked down at the class roster.

"I don't have a Rory Telford registered here. I have a Lorelai Gilmore-Hayden. Are you her?"

"Yes. But I go by Rory Telford." Rory narrowed her eyes a little as she looked at the teacher. If she were in Charming, this wouldn't have happened. Not only would the bitch have known who she was, but Rory would also be displaying the Crow, and everyone in town knew about the Crow.

"But your legal name is?"

"My legal name is Lorelai Leigh Telford. I go by Rory Telford. You can look it up." Rory told her, not backing down. The teacher made a face, before pointing to a seat near the front. "Take your seat, and we'll begin."

Rory spent the next couple hours trying to find her way to class, and having to explain to every teacher that she wasn't Lorelai Gilmore-Hayden, but Rory Telford. She wasn't sure how they knew about her Gilmore-Hayden name, because she knew Lorelai and Chibs had enrolled her in Chilton by her adopted name, but she was thinking her grandmother had something to do with it. Richard Gilmore had accepted the fact that his only daughter had married a thug from a motorcycle gang, and even liked Chibs, mainly because Chibs was a good man, and made his daughter and granddaughter happy. Emily, on the other hand, kept hoping that Lorelai and Chibs would divorce, she'd marry Christopher Hayden, and their little family would be complete. And Rory would be less of a scandal.

Finally, it was time for P.E. Now, Rory wasn't exactly the althetic type, but years of running after Jax and Opie, and waitressing at the local diner, and Chibs teaching her self-defense had given her a healthy appreciation for physical exercise. And, that also had the added bonus of being able to take off that damn school uniform and wear regular clothes for a little while.

As Rory entered the girls' locker room, she was greeted by glares. Rory hadn't said much in class, in fact she mostly just took notes, but every question she was asked she answered correctly. And, all that besides, Rory had every guy's attention, and she knew it. She was hotter than any of the girls at Chilton, god damn it, even though she was faithfully tied to Opie.

Rory straightened her back, lifted her head high, and glared back, daring the bitches to do something. Only one was brave enough. "Just who the hell do you think you are? This is _my _school. And you'd better not have eyes on Tristan DuGrey." Rory turned her head to stare at the skinny brunette who'd dared to threaten her. Then she snorted, and then the snort turned into a laugh. A loud, mocking laugh. Rory laughed for a minute, before rolling her eyes and continuing on without saying a word.

"That's Summer Landley. You don't want her on your bad side, she can make your life a living hell. That being said, I think if anyone can take her down, it would be you." Rory stopped at her locker, and looked over at the second person to speak to her all day. "Hi, I'm Louise Grant, and these are my friends, Madeline Lynn, and Paris Geller."

Rory turned, and looked all three up and down as she took off her tie. Louise was blonde, a little shorter than Rory, but just as curvy. Madeline was a cute brunette, with short hair in a pixie cut, and looked a little ditzy was was obviously smarter than she looked. And the third, Paris, was another blonde, with longer hair, and a serious look on her face. And a serious stick up her butt, Rory mused to herself. "Rory Telford. But I'm guessing you already knew that." Rory introduced, smirking. Louise and Madeline had the grace to look a little shamed, but Paris just kept glaring.

Finally, Rory turned back around and started undressing. First to go was that damn shirt and skirt, and then the bra, changing it for a sports bra. She felt the eyes on her again, and Rory rolled her eyes and turned again. "Y'know, if you're going to keep staring, you might as well take a fucking picture to get yourself off at night, because the whole staring thing is getting old."

Louise blushed a little, and Madeline and Paris snapped their eyes back to their lockers. Rory shook her head and turned again, pulling on her gym shorts and gym shirt. The shorts were short and the top was a babydoll top, but the shirt wasn't quite long enough to cover Rory's long torso, so every time she moved or stretched it would show her midriff. Meaning it would show some of her tattoo. Meaning more stares. Rory let out a mental whine, before reminding herself that at some point, she'd be old news. It just probably wouldn't be until she graduated.

Finally, Rory bolstered her courage, added the ring Opie gave her to the chain around her neck, and pulled her hair back into a ponytail. Then, with her back straight and her head held high, she walked out of the locker room and into the gym, fully prepared to beat anyone's ass that stared too long.

(-)

The school day was almost over when Rory met Tristan. She hadn't prepared to meet him, but she bumped into him in the hallway, and couldn't get away in time. "Excuse me." She said, before trying to push past him. Tristan quickly grabbed her wrist. Rory froze. "Let go of me. Now." She said, voice low. Nobody grabbed her without her permission. Nobody.

Tristan just smirked. "Now, come on, I think I deserve proper apology." Tristan told her, obviously trying to charm her. Rory tensed, before breaking her wrist free and backing Tristan against the locker, making it look like she was coming on to him. "Boy, Mary, you really roll out the-" Tristan's comment was cut short when Rory brought her knee up between his legs and pressed.

Rory brought her face close to his, and whispered in his ear. "Now listen, you little piece of goddamn shit. When a girl asks you to let go of her, it's usually a good rule to let her go. I would also like you to know, that I was just about to exert my sincerest apologies if you had. Not. Grabbed. My. Wrist. Now, I don't give a rat's ass who your parents are, or who your grandparents are, or anything like that. But you'd better know who the hell my family is. My da? The one who walked in with the leather cut and the gang symbol on the back? Chibs Telford. He's from Scotland. He'll kill you. My surrogate dad? Clay Morrow. He'll make sure nobody finds your body. My brother? Jax Teller. He'll beat the ever loving shit out of you. My mother? Lorelai Gilmore. She'll make sure your parents are informed of your death. And my boyfriend? He's in Chino, but when he finds out he'll help kill you. You really don't want to fucking mess with me, rich boy."

Tristan gulped, and nodded. Rory kissed his cheek as she pulled away, and gave him a little push into the locker, before walking down the hall. As she left, she called back over her shoulder, "And by the way, Rich Boy, I haven't been a Mary since I was fifteen."

Tristan shook his head as he watched her walk away, absently wondering just who the hell her boyfriend and family were.

By some miracle, Rory made it through the rest of the day. Before she slammed her locker door shut, she caught a picture of her and Opie she'd hung up. It was taken the day she got her tattoo, you could tell by the fact that it was still red around the Crow. Rory sighed, and stared at Opie's face. She was wearing his favorite bikini, a skimpy red number. One hand was on her hip, and the other was cupping her face as they kissed on the back of his Harley. Rory's hands were entwined in his hair, gripping it like she'd never let it go. Rory wished she hadn't. If she hadn't let go, Opie would still be here.

"Cute guy, Mary." Rory snapped into the present, and slammed her locker door shut. "Is that the criminal boyfriend?" Louise asked, a note of teasing in her voice. Rory chuckled a little, nodding. "Yeah. That's Opie. He's in because some rat bastard framed him."

"He's got a nice bike. I'm sure your dad just loves the fact that his daughter is dating a biker boy."

Rory snorted at that. "No, actually, my dad loves Opie. Mainly because Opie has seen first hand what my dad can do to someone who hurts his Angel. Besides, Op and I grew up together, my mom used to babysit him. I spent more time with Opie and Jax then I did at home, actually." Louise looked understanding at that, though Rory was fairly sure that Louise had no idea it was because her mother worked two to three jobs to keep her and Rory in their shitbox apartment in Charming.

As they walked outside, Rory noticed everyone was staring. Then she noticed what they were staring at, and a grin broke out on her face. "JAX! What the hell are you doing here?" She shouted, before slinging her bag over her shoulder and sprinting for her brother, sitting on his bike. Jax looked up, before opening his arms to catch her in a hug. "I missed you!" Rory exclaimed, hugging him tightly. Jax smelled like motor oil, cigarette smoke, leather, and Jax. Rory revelled in it. If she couldn't smell Opie, Jax was just as good.

"Chibs said you could use a ride home?" Jax's rough voice was like music to Rory's ears. She squealed, before hugging him again. Jax chuckled a little, before pulling back and handing her a helmet. "I wish you'd brought pants to wear, though." He said, frowning a little. Rory rolled her eyes, before reaching into her bag and pulling out a pair of jeans. Then, she set about pulling them on under her skirt. Jax swore, before growling as he noticed eyes watching Rory's ass. "Jesus, don't these pricks have anything better to do than watch you?"

"Jax, stop being such an overprotective brother and start up the damn bike. I want to get out of this uniform and into my own clothes." Rory ordered, before strapping her bag across her body and using Jax's shoulder to climb on back of his bike.

Jax smirked, before revving the engine and speeding out of the school parking lot, Rory holding on tightly to his back.

(-)

END


	3. Chapter 2

Anarchy's Girls

(-)

It was a lazy Friday in September when Jax and Rory rode into town. The sun was shining, and the breeze was just warm enough not to freeze the two bikers. When Jax pulled up in front of Luke's Diner, Rory let go of Jax and sat back, before unclipping her helmet and shaking her hair out. Jax waited for a whole minute before getting off the bike and tipping it, making Rory shriek and fall off. "Dammit Jackson! I am so going to kick your ass for that!"

"Just try, blue-eyes. If you couldn't kick my ass when I was a scrawny teenager, what makes you think you can now?" Jax, who had turned twenty just a week before, mocked his de-facto sister as she stewed on the pavement. Rory glared, and waited for him to step away from his bike, before pouting. Jax rolled his eyes, and held his hand out to help her up. Quickly, Rory grasped it and gave it a quick tug, unbalancing him and causing him to trip. Then, she used his weight and pulled herself up, before pushing Jax down and sitting on his back. "You were saying, oh immensely older one?" She mocked, before reaching into his back jeans pocket for the carton of cigs she knew he kept there.

Jax just groaned as he lay on the pavement, and reached back. "If you're going to sit on me, give me a fucking cig, would'ya?" He complained. Rory rolled her eyes, but passed him the one she had just lit up. Then, she took another out and gladly lit up, sighing in satisfaction as the nicotine hit her system. "Christ I've needed that." She muttered, leaning back against Jax's bike. She knew the townspeople were staring, but at the moment she didn't necessarily care. She'd missed Jax, almost as much as she missed Opie. The fact that she was on the other side of the country as Charming was glaringly obvious every second. For instance, back in Charming, she'd still be able to walk around in shorts and a jacket. Here, in Stars Hollow, she was forced to bring out jeans and a sweater under the jacket.

Jax let her sit for another minute, before groaning again. "Alright. You may be tiny, and you may be the skinniest person on the planet, but it still hurts to sit on me. Get your skinny ass off of my back, now." He threatened. Rory rolled her eyes, but stood up anyway. Jax coughed a little, before flinging an arm around Rory's shoulders. She sighed, took another drag off her cigarette, before turning and burrowing into his chest. Jax brought her in close and wrapped her in a tight hug. "We didn't get to do this at school. I've missed you, blue-eyes."

"I've missed you too, Jackie-boy. It's not the same without you, and Tara, and Opie. Everything's so weird. The town is nice, but god it's weird. There is no crime. They have a police officer. A. Singular. Dad's is the only bike in town. We get stared at. All. The. Time. There's no constant roar of Harley's, no parties, no bars, nobody knows who I am, I can't just flash my tat and people leave me alone. Even Dad tries to blend in, but he's not succeeding very well. I mean, his cut is a pretty glaringly obvious pointer that we're not from around here." Rory took a shuddering breath, and brought her cigarette to her lips. "Mom's trying to act like it doesn't bother her, for my sake, but it's showing. The stress is getting to her. The stress of the stares, the fact that she sees Grandma every week. Dad's been smoking more than he used to. Mom's started bumming cigarettes off him. She doesn't think I know, but I do. Plus, the alcohol is actually in sight now.

"I just want everything to be the way it used to be. Before Grandpa had his heart attack, before Opie..." Rory's voice broke, and she stopped talking. Jax rubbed his hands up and down her arms reassuringly. Rory had been entirely too composed when Opie was taken away, and it didn't look like she'd let herself break down. Tara was the same way. She tried to act like Opie getting hauled off didn't bother her, but there was something different. She was starting to cling to Jax, starting to worry more when he did club things.

Rory closed her eyes and took a few shuddering breaths. She wasn't going to break down. Sure, the love of her life was in prison for the next eight years. Sure, she was in hell. Sure, she was away from everything familiar. And sure, she was pretty much miserable. But this was club life, right? Taking one last deep breath, Rory dropped her cigarette on the ground and stepped on it, stubbing it out. "So. How long are you here for?"

Jax gave her a searching look, before shrugging. "Long as I need to. Club's been quiet. Clay told me to take off until I'm needed back. Figured I'd see how my sister's adjusting." Obviously not well, he added silently. Rory tried to smile a little, before she wrapped an arm around Jax's waist, and tugged him with her as she backed away. "Well, I need coffee. I'll adjust better with coffee." Jax groaned, but went with her anyway. He liked coffee, sure, but not to the extent of Rory, Lorelai, and even Tara. Opie didn't drink the stuff, but he did live off of Mountain Dew. Jax drank one cup of coffee in the morning, but after that he was good.

The bell above the door chimed as Rory and Jax entered the diner. Instantly, every eye was on them. Rory twitched a little, but took a deep breath and held her head up high. Jax tightened his arm around her shoulders. Rory steered them to a table in the corner, where Jax could see everything. For the three weeks they'd been in town, the table had been unofficially declared the Telford's. "This is Luke's. They have the best coffee ever. Better than that sludge you make at the garage." Rory teased, knowing that the coffee at the garage was better than anywhere in Charming. Well, that and Jax was the self-proclaimed God of the Coffee Maker. Jax favored her with a glare, and reached over to flick her shoulder. "Watch it, brat."

"Make me, blondie."

"Oh, I'll make you, alright. Don't forget, I have blackmail on you. Remember that time in the fifth grade when you set the school hamster free?" Jax reminded her, a smirk on her face. Rory glared, but a grin was playing on her lips. "And isn't there an outstanding warrant for whoever crashed Unser's brand new semi?"

Rory snorted. "Please. Everyone knows that there was no way I could have done that without help. I'm helpless when it comes to mechanics. I may have driven the damn thing, but there's no way I could have hotwired it and broke in. And what about the mystery surrounding Bobby and Tig's bikes turning up Barbie pink one day?" She fired back. Jax's eyes widened, and he looked around as if Bobby or Tig were waiting with cameras. Rory leaned back into her chair and smirked.

"Rory, we promised never to speak of that again."

"Bull. I never promised anything. Neither did Opie or Tara. None of us were going to give up that piece of prime blackmail."

"Alright. You win."

Jax and Rory both looked up when a shadow was cast over their table. Jax automatically went into the protector mode, but Rory grinned. "Hey Jess." She greeted. Then, she turned to Jax. "Jax, this is the owner of the diner's nephew, Jess. Jess, this person who is trying to blackmail me, is my brother Jax. I guess. If I absolutely must claim him." Rory teased, reaching over to push Jax's shoulder. Jax pushed back. Rory pushed harder. Jax reached over and poked her on the side. Rory shrieked, and twisted away from his finger. Jess watched as the two essentially started a tickle fight. Rory would shriek, and Jax would attack her sides with his fingers. Rory would finally slap his hands away, and reach over to try and tickle him, but he would skillfully dodge her attempts.

"Oh god, they're going to be at this for hours." The voice of Lorelai Telford startled Jess out of his staring. Those two were better than TV by far. Rory Telford had, in the three weeks she'd lived in Stars Hollow, had somehow taken Jess' loner status. She flitted around town, wearing dark clothes, and a leather jacket that was too big on her. She had a tattoo on her chest. She rode around on the back of her step-dad's bike. She drove a big pickup truck. She didn't really talk to anyone, and she was usually seen with a book in her hand. Really, she'd taken Jess' position in town. All she needed was a little kleptomania, and she'd be his twin.

Actually, all of the Telford's were a little strange. There was Chibs, who wore a cut, and drove a motorcycle, so he was probably part of a gang. Lorelai, who was the new owner of the only bar in Stars Hollow, and she was quickly turning it into a full-on Irish pub. Six-year-old Liam, who was, as dubbed by Miss Patty and Babbette, the 'cutest boy in the world'. And Rory. The engima, wrapped in a soft taco, and served with an extra side of hot sauce.

Finally, the fight between Jax and Rory seemed to be winding down. Jax wrapped Rory in a headlock, and was giving her a noogie, before Rory brought her finger to her mouth, licked it, and shoved it in Jax's ear. Jax gave a full-body shudder and let her go, and then glared as Rory and Lorelai started laughing. "Jesus, Rory! How old are you!" He exclaimed, rubbing his ear. Rory just laughed louder, and fell sideways into Jax. Jax finally chuckled, and wrapped his arm back around Rory's shoulders.

Jess shook his head. "Alright. I'm guessing coffee for Lorelai and Rory, and what about you?" He asked, eyeing the other man's leather cut. It had the same symbol as Chibs' on the back, but the patches on the front were different, reading 'Men of Mayhem' on one side, and 'Redwood Original' on the other side. He was also fairly sure he didn't want to know what 'Men of Mayhem' meant.

Jax shrugged. "Might as well have a cup of coffee as well. See what's got these two so excited." He said, nodding as Jess walked away. Lorelai grinned as she turned towards her two children. Jax may not have been hers by blood, but just as Gemma had adopted the sweet-faced, blue-eyed Rory, Lorelai had adopted Jax. He'd been three-and-a-half, and very proud of the 'half', as if it made him older. Lorelai had been seventeen at the time, and John and Jax would spend every Sunday morning at the restaurant where Lorelai was working at the time.

Looking at the two, she smiled a bit nostalgically. "Aw, watching you two makes me so nostalgic. Now all we need is Tara and Opie, and our little family would be complete." Lorelai said, watching as Rory's face saddened. Lorelai knew her daughter, Rory would break soon, but it would most likely be at the most inconvenient time. Like, for instance, tonight at Lorelai's parents. Sure, it would be good for Rory to break, but Lorelai was trying to find a good time to tell her parents that Rory's boyfriend was in jail, because he was a gang member.

Of course, it wasn't like there was actually a good time to say that, but the longer Lorelai could stall it, the better.

Rory shook her head. She knew what her mother was trying to do. "It won't work, Mom." Rory warned, before faking a smile at Jess as he set down their coffee. "Thanks, Jesse!" She chirped, watching as Jess gave a full-body twitch and quickly hurried off. "I don't know what I did to him." Rory said, smirking.

(-)

That night, the Telford's stood on the Gilmore's front stoop, staring at the door. "It's your turn." Rory said, nudging her mother. Lorelai's eyes widened, and she stared at her first born in shock. "Nuh-uh! I went last time! It's your turn! Besides, they actually like you, and they don't know about your tattoos!" Lorelai whispered. Liam rolled his eyes at his older sister and mother, before looking up at Chibs. "Daddy, can I pwess the button?" He asked in his most mature six-year-old lisp.

Chibs looked at Lorelai and Rory, and Liam gave them his most sincere pout. Lorelai caved immediately. Rory held out for an admirable minute, before she smiled. "Oh, alright monster. Come here." She said, bending down and holding out her arms. Liam had inherited both his parent's height, and was tall for six, but even that wasn't tall enough to reach the Gilmore's doorbell without help. Besides, Rory liked any reason to pick up her little brother.

Before Liam could ring the bell, however, the door opened. There, standing with a cross look on her face, was Emily. "Really, Lorelai. Set an example. We have guests tonight, the least you could do is be on time. What's wrong with him?" Emily Gilmore was bewildered when Liam started pouting and put his face in Rory's shoulder. "Liam wanted to ring the doorbell." Rory explained, before whispering in Liam's ear.

Emily may not have approved of Lorelai's marriage, but even she was not so cold-hearted to refuse her grandson something. Emily smiled slightly, before dutifully closing the door. Liam's face brightened, and he half dove out of Rory's arms to reach the doorbell. When the chimes sounded, Emily opened the door. "Welcome! Lorelai, you're late and we have guests. It's proper to arrive on time when you are expected for dinner. Set an example for your children so maybe they'll have some semblance of manners."

Lorelai rolled her eyes, but led the way inside. "Good to see you too, mom." She muttered something under her breath, and Chibs chuckled. Then he looked at Emily, and shook his head. "Ya dunnae wanna know, Emily." He told her. Emily scowled, but turned and walked into the living room.

As the family handed their coats to the maid, Rory set Liam on the floor. Liam instantly ran after Emily. Liam was the only one who liked Friday Night Dinners, mainly because there was always something new and interesting to find at the Gilmore home. Unfortunately, he was a little boy, and little boys usually don't stay out of trouble for long, so Rory hurried to catch up with him. She'd appointed herself Liam's keeper for the night, after having drawn straws with Lorelai and lost.

Rory quickly turned the corner into the living room, and paused for a moment, before taking a deep breath and entering. There, sitting on the couch, was Tristan DuGrey, along with an older couple that she was assuming was his parents. Then she saw Liam sneaking towards the stairs, and her eyes widened. She noticed Emily and Richard start to say something, and she held up a hand, and darted over to the stairs. "'scuse me for a moment. Liam Padraic Telford, you know you're not supposed to go upstairs here." Rory scolded, grabbing her brother by the waist and hauling him backwards. "Now, go say hi to Grampa and introduce yourself, just like Mom taught you to."

Liam pouted, but wiggled his way out of Rory's arms and rushed to give Richard a hug. By that time, Lorelai and Chibs had walked into the living room, arms around each other. "Lorelai!I'm so happy you could join us!" Richard was proud of his daughter. Oh, sure, he'd had his doubts when Lorelai had taken Rory and run, sure that she would be back within a year asking for money. But when she finally scraped up enough money to afford a trip back to Hartford, after two years, for the annual Gilmore Christmas party with this adorable two-year-old on her hip and a healthy look to her, Richard was intrigued. After talking with her for a while, he found out that she had gotten her GED, was working three jobs to afford her rent and all the other expenses, but that she wasn't going to take her father's help.

And then, Lorelai had met Chibs. And Richard had worried again. Worried that Chibs would hurt his daughter and granddaughter, worried that he was a thug, worried that Lorelai would end up broken. Worried that this Chibs would convince Lorelai that she didn't need her family. But then, when Lorelai brought Chibs home with her on her trip back for Christmas, wearing a very nice ring on her left hand, and glowing in a way that Christopher had never produced from her, and Richard's worries subsided. After all, Chibs was capable of taking care of his daughter in a way that Richard never could, and Rory seemed to look up to Chibs.

And now. Lorelai grinned, and reached up to give her father a hug. "Hi, dad. How are you feeling?" Lorelai asked, worrying her bottom lip. Richard rolled his eyes, but indulged his only child. "I'm just fine, Lorelai. Really, you needn't keep asking. Joseph assures me that I will be just fine with a little more exercise and a lot less red meat." Richard assured her. Emily, Rory, and Lorelai had all teamed up to make sure that Richard was abiding by his doctor's recommendations, but Richard had no plans on going anywhere anytime soon. He'd just gotten his daughter and grandchildren back in the same state, no way was he going to waste that.

"Everyone I would like to introduce you to our guests for the evening." Emily chose that moment to play the perfect hostess. "I would like to introduce Alex and Jane DuGrey, and their son, Tristan. Alex, Jane, Tristan, I would like to introduce you to our daughter, Lorelai, her husband Filip, her daughter Rory, and their son Liam." Emily said, guesturing to everyone. After a round of handshakes and drinks were passed around, and everyone was seated, the conversation started up.

"So, Rory, Emily tells me you started at Chilton today. That's where Tristan goes as well, maybe he could help you?" Jane DuGrey was intrigued by the girl sitting in front of her. She was gorgeous, but then, any child of Lorelai would have been. Her bloodlines were perfect, with both Gilmore and Hayden. The only thing that would have been better would have been Huntzberger, but unfortunately that gold-digging Shira had produced a girl first, instead of the boy, screwing it up.

And besides, having those blue eyes and that brown hair in her grandchildren's bloodlines would be gorgeous.

Rory nodded. "Yes. Actually, I met Tristan at school today, he was very...enthusiastic in his attempts to offer his help." She said, a smirk playing at her lips. Tristan's face paled in rememberance, and Lorelai choked on her martini. Emily spared her daughter an exasperated look, but kept quiet. She knew that as soon as she opened her mouth to admonish her, Lorelai would purposely embarrass her in front of her friends.

Rory swirled the soda in her hand, desperately wishing that Jax was there, that Opie was there, that there was vodka in her glass, and that there was a cigarette in her hands. Oh, and while she was wishing for things that would never happen, she might as well wish for world peace and a million dollars.

And Opie to be there.

God, she wished Opie were there.

The conversation over drinks went smoothly after that. After dinner, while the adults were talking, Rory slipped out onto the patio. It was a cool night, and Rory pulled her sweater closer to her body. She'd worn Opie's favorite dress. Of course, Opie loved Rory in anything, or better yet, nothing in all. Rory sucked in a shaky breath, and closed her eyes. No. She'd promised her mother she wouldn't break down tonight. Tomorrow was Saturday, so she'd capture Jax and force him to hold her while she sobbed. Tomorrow she would break down. But not tonight.

"Everything okay, Mary?" Rory's head snapped to the left, and she noticed Tristan leaning against the house, calmly smoking a cigarette. Rory hurried over to him, and grabbed it, taking a long drag off of it and passing it back. "Everything's fuckin' peachy. I just want this night to be over with, that's all." Rory told him, before walking a couple steps back. "And didn't I tell you not to call me Mary? Or do you need a refresher lesson?" Rory threatened, glaring. Tristan shuddered, and quickly shook his head.

"Rory, then. I'm assuming your grandparents don't know you have a boyfriend then, if they're so obviously trying to set you up?" Tristan asked, sending her a half-smile. Rory rolled her eyes, and held out her hand. Tristan dug in his pockets and pulled out his lighter and carton of cigs, and she sighed happily as she lit one up. "No. Mom and I are trying to figure out an easy way to tell them about Opie. Besides, Grandpa just had his heart attack, and if we tell him 'oh by the way, I have a boyfriend but no you can't meet him because he's in jail for breaking and entering and armed robbery' he may just have another heart attack."

"So what are you going to do? If they don't know, when you and I don't work out they'll set you up with others."

"Eh, I'll deal with that. You society wimps couldn't handle me anyway. Besides, nobody's stupid to ask me out anyway. For one, my last name might have had a Gilmore-Hayden in it, but I'm a scandal. My mother had me at sixteen, then married some Scottish hooligan and got tattooed along the way. For another, I live in a town of less than ten thousand. Hell, I've always lived in a town of less than ten thousand. I drive a pickup truck. I swear. I'm a badass bitch. And when the rumor mill really starts going on Monday after all weekend to sit and fester, my boyfriend will have gone to jail for murder, and I was an accomplice but nobody could prove anything. Trust me, nobody will come anywhere near me." Rory snorted, taking a drag off the cigarette.

Tristan considered this for a moment, before shrugging. "You have a point. They'll still stare, and you'll get hit on, but none of them will seriously consider it. Besides, anyone who does, point them out to me, and I'll help you hide the body." He told her, smirking. Rory gave him an appraising look, before snorting again. The two teens smoked in silence, until they heard a voice call out for them. Lorelai's head peaked over the side of the house, and she smirked. "I figured as much. But I'd be careful if I were you, because just off the patio here Mom can still smell the smoke, and if even a whiff of it is on you there'll be hell to pay. Next time sneak off behind the pool house, and remember to bring body spray."

Tristan stared for a moment, but Rory merely rolled her eyes and stubbed out her cigarette. "Time to go?" She asked, bringing her arms up and stretching. Lorelai nodded. "Tristan, your parents are looking for you. Very discreetly, but with enough care to put on a good act."

"Okay. And Mrs. Telford, please, don't-" Tristan started, but Lorelai lifted a hand. "One, you're almost eighteen. Two, if I don't care if my own daughter smokes, why would I care if you do? And three, don't you ever, ever call me 'Mrs. Telford' again. It reminds me of my mother-in-law, who puts my own mother to shame." Lorelai said, shuddering. Rory flinched. Aislynn Telford was definitely a force to be reckoned with. Watching her and Lorelai go at it was better than celebrity death match.

It was almost as fun as watching Gemma and Clara Knowles going at it.

Almost.

Rory just groaned, and gave Tristan a small smile. "I'll see you around, Bible Boy." She told him, and followed Lorelai back to the house. Tristan was puzzled. "Bible Boy?" He questioned, shaking his head. Rory gave him a cheeky smirk. "Well, you keep insisting that I'm the Virgin Mary, now don't you?" She called, and then disappeared into the house. Lorelai burst into laughter as she closed the door to the patio behind her, linking an arm with Rory.

(-)

END


	4. Chapter 4

Anarchy's Girls

(-)

The next day was Saturday. Rory woke up feeling like crap, although she wasn't entirely sure why. The sky outside was blue. She could hear Lorelai puttering around in the kitchen. Surprisingly, Lorelai was a good cook. When Gemma met Lorelai, Lorelai had been a scrawny seventeen-year-old cleaning hotel rooms during the day and waiting tables on nights and weekends. At first, Gemma had been content to let the teenager fend for herself, after all, Gemma was all for independence. But after about a month, the mothering instincts started kicking in, and she took Lorelai under her wing. Especially after finding out about Rory.

Gemma taught Lorelai the basics of cooking. After finding out that burning water is actually not genetic, Lorelai enthusiastically dove into cook books in what little free time she had. He first attempts were a bit...dodgy, but after a while she got the hang of it. And she got better after she and Chibs married and she was able to quit one of her jobs. Now, she and Gemma were practically undefeated in the kitchen.

Sadly, Rory was proof that the ability to burn water actually _is_ a genetic trait. However, like twins, it seems to skip a generation.

Rory stared at the ceiling for a while, before the smell of coffee finally enticed her to roll out of bed and out of her bedroom. The house they'd found in Stars Hollow was just like the rest of town; small and quaint. There were three bedrooms, two upstairs and one downstairs. They were small rooms, and truthfully the one downstairs was really supposed to be an office or den or something, but Rory had liked it immediately and claimed it as her own. Upstairs was the master bedroom, a bathroom, and Liam's bedroom. Downstairs was the living room, the basement stairs, another bathroom, the kitchen, and right off the kitchen was Rory's bedroom. It was simple, and a lot smaller than their house in Charming, but it fit. And besides, they still had the house in Charming. They were renting it out, but they were renting it out to a couple of Prospects for the Club, so they knew at least it wasn't getting trashed.

The scene in the kitchen was the typical morning for the Telfords. Liam was sitting at the table in a booster seat, because although tall for his age he still had issues reaching the table. Lorelai was scrambling eggs at the stove, a spatula in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other. Chibs was standing behind her, one arm around her waist and gently swaying with her to the beat of a song only they could hear. Rory smiled at that. They'd been married for nearly eleven years, and they were still as happy and in love as they were when they first started dating.

"Morning." Rory called out, heading for the coffee maker. She and Lorelai were the only ones who drank the stuff. Liam had a fifty percent chance of being an addict, but Chibs had told both Lorelai and Rory every day for three years that Liam wouldn't have coffee until he was thirteen. He would have tried to force the same rule on Rory, but Rory was eight when he and Lorelai met, and by the time they were married and he had actual say over Rory's life, she was already sneaking her mother's coffee. And besides, Rory had had Gemma Morrow for a babysitter most of the time, who was just as bad as Lorelai when it came to coffee.

Chibs was not a coffee drinker. Chibs was a beer, whiskey, and tea drinker. He accepted that Lorelai would taste like coffee every time he kissed her, but he drew the line at drinking it. Opie was not a coffee drinker either. Opie lived on Mountain Dew. Rory was both astounded and disgusted at the fact that her boyfriend could have, and in fact has on a couple occasions, drank half his body weight in Mountain Dew on a bad day. There was actually a pool going around the club about just when Opie would be hospitalized for diabetes. Hell, everyone in Charming was in on the bet, including Opie himself.

"Good morning, Angel." Chibs let go of Lorelai to give Rory a hug. Chibs had been calling Rory Angel even before he and Lorelai had started dating. Actually, Chibs met Rory before he met Lorelai. Rory had been hanging around the garage with Jax and Opie after school one day, and Chibs had thought she was the most innocent little thing. Of course, three minutes later when he remarked to Clay and John that she was the most well-behaved kid he'd ever seen they laughed in his face, and he discovered later that she was trying to keep Tig and Bobby distracted while Opie and Jax pulled a prank on them, but still. The nickname had still stuck.

Rory grinned, and hugged him back. "Morning, Dad." Rory calling Chibs 'dad' was actually a recent development. It wasn't until a couple years ago that she started, but nobody had said anything. After all, everyone they knew knew that Chibs was Rory's real dad, if not the man that fathered her.

Jax stumbled into the kitchen, then, shirtless and rubbing his eyes. Actually, this wasn't a new sight, either. Jax and Rory had spent so much time growing up that it wasn't unusual for either one to just decide to spend the night. Gemma and Lorelai were okay with it as long as someone called either of them to let them know to stop worrying about them. "Mornin' everyone." Jax mumbled, yawning and tried to get a cup of coffee. Sadly, it was empty. He wasn't really surprised though, Lorelai and Rory usually went through a pot each before school and work every morning. "Where do you keep the coffee?" Lorelai gave Jax an 'are you crazy' look, and Jax nodded. "Right. My bad." He said, and opened the cabinet straight above the coffee maker. Some people kept their coffee in the fridge, some in the freezer, some in tupperwares, but Lorelai and Rory Telford went through a pound of coffee beans in a little over two days, so there was no need to use the extra steps to store it, and they just kept it in the bag with the scoop.

When the coffee was brewing, Lorelai took the skillet off the stove and dumped the eggs in a bowl, and then carried the entire breakfast to the table. As usual, everyone was too tired, or uncaffeinated to talk much. Breakfast for the Telford family were a very quiet affair, and Saturday morning was no different. Usually, Liam was up early to watch cartoons, but with Jax sleeping on the couch Lorelai had put her foot down. However, she did promise Liam that he could watch two movies during the day, rather than the usual one movie. Chibs and Lorelai didn't try to put too many rules on their kids, but at the same time, Liam would spend all day in front of the television if given the chance, so Lorelai and Chibs put a rule on no more than two consecutive hours of TV a day.

When breakfast was over, and Rory and Jax started cleaning up, Rory started up the conversation. "So, have you talked to Opie?" Rory knew, realistically, that Opie probably wouldn't be allowed visitors. And if he were, Clay and the others in the Club would never let Jax or Piney be the ones to visit him. But she had to know.

Jax shook his head. "No. Tig went last month, there was some problems at the prison so Clay sent Tig to check up on Otto and Op. Came back saying that Opie looked a little rough, but like he was holding his own." Rory sucked in a breath, and then put on a determined face. "How about Tara? How's she dealing with this?" Tara hadn't been raised with the Club. She had the Crow, and she had a basic understanding of what the Club did, but Jax had promised Rory and Opie to leave her out of the hard stuff. As such, Tara was usually left clueless as to why Rory smoked or drank a little more every so often.

"Not good. She and Mom are fighting more than usual. She's started to get real clingy. If she were a little skankier, I'd start thinking she was starting to act like a crow eater, but I know she's just terrified of what could happen to me. And she's starting to pressure me to try and get out of the Club." Rory's eyes widened. Rory knew what leaving the Club meant. "Do you want me to call her? Talk to her?

"No offense, but no. You'd make it worse. Tara wants to forget that you and Opie exist for the moment, make it a little less real. And, actually, that's part of why I'm here. She, ah, she told me she needed to be apart from me for a while. Strange, I know, because she's been so damn clingy, but still. I don't wanna lose her." Rory's temper flared momentarily, but she squished it down quickly. She'd focus on Jax for now, bitch out Tara later.

Tara and Rory had an interesting relationship. They were both in the top of their class back in Charming. They were probably the reason that Jax and Opie graduated in the first place, because of the incentives that Tara and Rory provided them. Or, rather, at first, Tara tried to get Jax and Opie to study, and Rory ended up just doing their homework for them. Then, came the incentives. For every 'A' that Jax or Opie got, the girls, ah, put on a celebration for them.

But Tara and Rory were a different sort. Two braniacs, with wicked tempers. Tara was Rory's only female friend, even though she was closer to Opie and Jax. Rory was Tara's competition to be better, even though Rory didn't even care who won. Most of the time they got along. But then, there were the times that Rory and Tara remembered that they were from two very, very different lifestyles.

Rory had been raised primarily by Lorelai. It had been the two of them against the world. Then, Rory's first friends were boys. Two very tough, strong, boys. Then, there was Chibs. Granted, Rory was pretty much raised by the time that Chibs came along, but he still had an influence. Rory had grown up seeing the true face of the Club, first hand. Tara had been shielded. Tara had been raised by two straight-laced parents, who were very nice, and polite, and they liked Rory enough, even though they considered Lorelai to be a bad influence on Tara. And Tara could hold her own, but she preferred not to lower herself to getting into fights and confrontations, whereas Rory had always thrown herself into them head-first.

Thusly, the two girls were friends, and close friends at that, but at times didn't act like it.

"So. How are you dealing with Opie in with Otto?" Jax decided to quit beating around the bush. Lorelai had told him that Rory had been avoiding the subject, and that they needed to nip it in the butt. Rory was the type that needed to process and get over it, before she started overthinking it and freaking out at a bad time.

"Ouch. I forgot that you don't pull your punches. Well, to tell you the truth, I'm not handling it. At all. And it's driving me crazy. Because I'm worried. So damn worried. Worried that he'll be beaten up. Worried that he'll be killed. Worried that he'll end up someone's bitch. Worried that when he gets out he'll be changed irrevocably." Worried that he won't want me anymore. Rory didn't voice that one, but Jax most likely caught it anyway. He was good like that. Jax put down the plate he'd been drying, and pulled Rory into a hug. Rory turned into him, and just let herself be comforted. Rory wasn't a crier, she didn't like to show her emotions like that, but special times called for special matters. So, with the knowledge that it was going to happen eventually anyway, Rory let herself cry.

(-)

Jax and Rory were walking around Stars Hollow. After an hour of crying on Jax's shoulder, Rory declared that she needed coffee and ice cream, not necessarily in that order, and thus, they were headed off to the market. As they walked, they were stared at. Jax returned a few with glares, but Rory just ignored them. "You get used to it, Jax. Eventually they'll stop staring." She assured him, and wrapped her arms around herself for warmth. Jax took notice of this, and draped his arm around her shoulder, pulling her to his side. Rory huddled into him, enjoying the Rory-and-Jax time. They hadn't had quality Rory-and-Jax time in a very long while.

"This is nice. You and I haven't hung out since before you and Tara started seeing each other. Ever since then it's been you, Tara, Opie, and I. I haven't had my big brother quality time. I've missed it." Rory commented. Jax chuckled a little. Rory swatted his stomach. "I'm serious! Remember when it used to be just us? You know, whenever Opie was off with his dad, or his mom, and before Tara was part of the group? You were my first friend, y'know."

"I know. And you were the annoying little twerp that would hang around us and try to be one of the big kids. And usually ended up being better at pulling pranks than all of us." Jax smirked as the two walked the streets of Stars Hollow. "You were tiny, so you fit more places than Opie or I, and you were wicked smart, thinking of things and planning contigencies. And all you had to do was bat those big blue eyes and all the guys would drop whatever they were doing to help you."

It was Rory's turn to smirk. "Well, you know. Someone had to have a Plan B, because Plan A rarely ever works like you want it to." She grew a little quiet, remembering the more recent Plan A that went badly, without a Plan B. "If you always have a Plan B to fall back on, then Plan A can fail all it wants, because you have Plan B to pick up the slack. It's when Plan A and Plan B both fail that things go kablooey, because people never think of a Plan C." Rory kept going, pushing back the thoughts of the horrible Plan A.

Jax rubbed her shoulder a little, and the two lapsed into silence as they stepped into Luke's. Walking up to the counter, Rory ordered them two large coffee's to go. "Next stop, the market. Then, you and I are going to have a Rory-and-Jax day. Just the two of us." Rory declared, sending Jax a smile from her position safely tucked under his arm. Jax sent her back a smile, deciding that this would probably be a good thing, for both of them.

When Jess handed over their coffee, Rory thanked him, and then pulled away from Jax to hold her coffee cup up in a salute. "This, is the official beginning of the first time in a long time, 'Rory and Jax Day'. No significant others, no outside interference, no distractions, no family members. Just us two. Are these rules acceptable?" Rory asked, using her most serious and important voice, her face betraying no emotion. Jax fought back a laugh, and held his coffee cup up as well. "Agreed. This also means that no holds are barred, nothing is held back, be it stray emotions or physical violence." He added. Rory pretended to think it over, before she nodded and they 'clinked' their paper coffee cups together.

"Agreed."

(-)

"JACKSON CHARLES TELLER! PUT ME DOWN RIGHT NOW!" Rory shrieked as Jax continued to walk through town with her thrown over his shoulder. They'd been walking aimlessly around town, and had in fact been walking across a bridge, when Rory had decided that Jax needed cooling off, and had pushed him into the small creek. It wasn't very deep, but the water was cold, and it was enough to completely soak Jax. And, unfortunately, Rory had spent the time pointing and laughing, and by the time she'd realized that she had needed to be running, it had been too late, and Jax had pulled her in right beside him.

A water fight had ensued, and Rory had been completely and totally drenched. And, unfortunately, afterwards, Rory didn't run fast enough, and Jax had caught her and thrown her over his shoulder. Thus, the reason why Rory was screaming and slapping his back. "Rory! I'm not going to let you down until you say what I want to hear!" Jax yelled with a smirk. Rory froze for a minute, before she grumbled into submission. "If you fart, Jackson Charles Teller, not only will I kick you in the man bits so damn hard you'll never give Gemma those grandkids she's dying to have, but I'll also tell Tig and Bobby who painted their bikes." She informed him, and settled down.

Jax scowled, but kept on walking. Eventually, she'd crack and say the magic phrase. She always did. And besides, he was stronger than she was stubborn. She'd crack right around the time she needed a caffeine or sugar fix, and his arm would be sore for a couple days, but it'd be okay until the next time they have to do this.

Rory was quiet and still for a good ten minutes, before she finally decided enough was enough. "Alright! Fine! Jax Teller is a wonderful, masterful, God among men and we should all wish to be like him. Now put me the fuck down." Rory snarled out, and Jax laughed, before gently setting her on the sidewalk. Rory glared, and gave him a swift kick on the shin that did more damage to her Chaco-clad foot than it did to Jax's shin bone, and then wrapped an arm around Jax's waist and huddled into his side for warmth. She was mostly dry now, but it was starting to get dark, and it was getting colder.

"So tell me about Tara." Rory prompted, looking up at Jax. All day, aside from her breakdown in the kitchen that morning, they'd mostly avoided serious talks. "You said she's been pushing you to try and quit the club? Does she really understand what that means? Because I'll totally fly out there and kick her ass for you." Rory offered. Jax shook his head, and steered them to a nearby bench. Rory folded her legs underneath herself, and turned to face Jax. "Talk to me, Jax." She implored, leaning forward a little.

Jax rubbed a hand down her face. "She applied for UCLA, as you know. Pre-Med. And before Opie, it hadn't seemed like the end. But now that he's with Otto, it's like all of a sudden, I'm not good enough for her. Like she's starting to realize it. She's saying that I should apply to get into UCLA with her, that I should go to college, get a degree, get a real job, make something of my life. And I can understand that she's worried that I'm going to end up like Opie, but that's the Club. If I end up in jail, I end up in jail. That's just how it is."

"And I know that, which is why, although it's killing me that Opie can't be here with me, I understand that this is the Club. But, Jax, I grew up with this. My dad's a member of the Club. If I were able, I would totally Prospect for the Club, but as it so happens, it's a he-man woman-hating club, and I'm not allowed. So, I took the Crow, and I'm happy to do it. But Tara...she doesn't understand. She doesn't know what really happens with the Club. You've kept her on the outside. She realizes that we do illegal things, but she doesn't fully understand the full gravity of the situation. And until that happens, she'll never be able to accept the Club life."

"I know that, and I've tried to explain things to her, but she keeps changing the subject. And recently, she's been so stressed with starting senior year, and fighting with Ma, and everything, that when I try to bring up a subject deeper than the weather, she starts avoiding and biting my head off." Jax groaned. "I go along with it, because Tara's the love of my life. I don't want to live without her, Rory. I just...God."

Rory leaned her head on his shoulder, and heaved a deep sigh. "I can kind of understand what she's going through. When I heard that Opie had gotten arrested, my stomach dropped to the floor. And the day of the trial, well, I thought the world was going to end. Because my world was all of a sudden dangerous. I mean, if things went a little different, it could have been you, or Chibs, or one of the other guys. Just the thought of that makes my skin crawl. But, nonetheless, I know that that is the Club life, and that I just have to deal with it."

"I just get the feeling that something's wrong. Like Tara's trying to push me away." Rory leaned into Jax's side in support. "Well, at least you have me. I'll never leave you, Jackie-boy." Rory promised. Jax just draped an arm around her shoulder.

(-)

END

(-)


	5. Chapter 5

Anarchy's Girls

(-)

Three weeks later, and Jax had gotten a call from Clay, saying that they needed him back in Charming. Rory had given him a tearful hug goodbye, and Chibs had rode with him to Hartford, and Lorelai had made him promise to call her every time he stopped so she knew he was okay. Life went on as it had been. Rory was excelling at her new school, although she wasn't really making any friends, aside from Tristan. Liam was doing well at Stars Hollow Elementary, and wasn't having a very hard time fitting in, although all the Stars Hollow mothers were shunning Lorelai for the time being.

The staring had died down as the town realized that Lorelai and Chibs were just two normal parents that were new to town and just as strange as the rest of the people there. And so, life for the Telford family went forward. Slowly, but surely, they were sliding into their new lives.

It was on a sunny day in late October, however, that Rory met someone who would turn into one of her best friends.

Lane Kim had lived in Stars Hollow her entire life, and so far the only friend she'd really made was Jess Mariano, and even then it was only when she could escape her mother, because Mama Kim was more concerned with making sure that her daughter was protected from Sin, rather than letting Lane have social contact. But the day that Rory Telford met Lane Kim, well, that day would go down in Stars Hollow History.

Not really.

It was a typical Stars Hollow day. Rory was sitting in the gazebo, pen in hand and a notebook on her lap, cheerfully ignoring the rest of the town. Just because they had stopped staring for the most part, didn't mean she was necessarily going to go out of her way to be friendly. She had all the friends she needed, they were just on the other side of the country, and thinking about them depressed her. So deep in her thoughts, Rory was startled when a dark head of hair popped over the side of the gazebo next to her. "Christ!" Rory swore, putting a hand to her heart and staring.

Lane Kim was in a state of shock herself, she'd been taking refuge in the gazebo, because it didn't have a direct line-of-sight of her house, and hadn't really been paying much attention as she climbed over the side. "Uh, sorry. I didn't see you there." Lane stuttered out, holding out a hand to shake. "Lane Kim."

Rory must have been in a good mood that day, because she smirked instead of going into a long-winded rant. "Rory Telford. Running from an ex-boyfriend?" She guessed, reaching down and shaking the Asian girl's hand. Lane let out a laugh, before realizing that the other girl was actually serious. "Oh, no. That implies that I've actually had a boyfriend. I've been on lots of dates, with potential Korean doctors, and I kind-of-sort-of had a thing with this boy my Mama set up, but no. Lane Kim does not have a boyfriend. Mama Kim scares away all the boys."

Rory shook her head. "I bet I could think of a few boys who wouldn't be scared of her, but then, I've also never met her. So how old are you?"

"I'm seventeen, but I turn eighteen in a couple of months. You?"

"I turned eighteen last week." Rory looked at the other teen evaluatingly. She was short, Asian, and cute. Oh yes, she could think of several Sons that would cheerfully look the other way if it meant they could get with her. The only trouble being, that none of them would really want to stick around, and Lane didn't seem like the kind of girl who could be a Crow Eater.

"So, I word around town is that you and your boyfriend committed murder, but they couldn't prove it, so they put him away for some trumped-up charge, and you're here in witness protection because the people who would be able to identify you would rather kill you, and that your parents aren't really your parents because you were under age and therefore unable to take care of yourself. Oh, and that you're really a lesbian inside, but I don't really think that one was very well-thought through." Lane informed her as she pushed herself onto her feet and took a seat next to Rory.

Rory blinked. Then a snort escaped, and soon she was in full-blown laughter. "Oh god, is that what's been going around?! Oh my god. That's just so...although, I think I know who started the rumor that I'm a lesbian. I can assure you that one is not true." The thought was so absurd that Rory burst into another peal of laughter at it. Lane laughed along side her for a moment. "Oh, wow. Thanks, I needed that. No, there's only a couple grains of truth in that rumor. No, we didn't kill anyone. Yes, he is in jail, but only for breaking and entering and armed robbery, although they were able to prove it. No, I'm not in witness protection. Yes, they really are my parents, although Chibs is not my birth father. And I assure you, I am very capable of taking myself." Rory shook her head and let out another laugh as she thought about the absurdity of the rumor.

"Well, there's been very little to gossip about for the past few weeks before you came, so Miss Patty and Babbette were desperate for drama. And, since then, you've pretty much tapered off on the gossip front, so congratulations, you're pretty much old news."

"Oh thank god. The whole staring thing was getting a little old, and setting my dad on edge. It wasn't fun." Rory slumped back on the bench at the thought. It was true, their first month in Stars Hollow all the staring had really set Chibs on edge, and it wasn't making for pleasant living. Thankfully, the staring had stopped, and Gypsy had started threatening anyone who stopped and stared at her new star mechanic. "Now I just get to deal with the staring at my new school." Unfortunately for Rory, everyone at Chilton still acted like they'd never seen someone like her before. And, she supposed, they probably hadn't.

Oh well. She wasn't going to go all soft and break into tears just because someone doesn't like her. She's not one of those stuck-up snobby rich-bitches.

"What school do you go to? I've never seen you around Stars Hollow High."

"I'm going to Chilton, it's a private school in Hartford. Lots of rich bitches and bastards."

"Yeah, we don't really get much around here. We're mostly just insane asylum rejects." Lane commented. Rory grinned. "Louie, this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

(-)

Meanwhile, Lorelai was not making any new friends. "What do you mean, he's a disturbance." Lorelai glared at the principal of her son's school. Principal Fitzgibbons coughed slightly into his hand, and looked over at the first grade teacher. "He's six years old, he hasn't had time to become a disturbance!" Lorelai exclaimed.

The teacher, Mrs. Applegate, had never encountered someone like Lorelai Telford. At first, Liam Telford had been a model student. A little distracted, sure, a little shy, of course, because he was new and he was only six years old. "Recently, he's become very...tough to handle. Starting fights with other boys, he sits by himself at lunchtime, and then there's the fact that he rubs it in the other children's faces that he is smarter than everyone else."

Lorelai glared. "Listen, I know my son. He's six years old. And I highly doubt he starts the fights, he's the sweetest kid around. He's been in school for a month, and he's new to town at that." The mother of two gave the teacher and the principal a stony look, learned from watching her mother for sixteen years, even though she'd never admit it. "Prove your thesis."

Mrs. Applegate narrowed her eyes. "I have been a teacher here for going on eleven years, and in all my time, sure, I've seen children like Liam before. Usually, the parent takes care of the child, and I never have any problems with that particular child again." Lorelai lifted an eyebrow. "However, I feel that it might be smart to transfer Liam to another class or another school. I feel that it is detrimental to the other children in my class for Liam to remain in my class, as he is right now. And I also feel that you, as the parent, it is your job to enforce that fighting is not to be tolerated, and that just because he has an easier time learning, it isn't good to gloat."

Lorelai's face hardened. "So, it's a problem that my son is smart. Alright. Let me fill you in on a few things. His father and I feel that it's not his job to start fights, I'll give you that, but if he's in a fight, he knows how to defend himself; he's been in Karate classes since he was four. He also learned how to read when he was three and a half, his sister taught him how when she noticed that whenever she'd read to him, he started sounding out words. She also taught him basic arithmetic. I'm sorry if you think that being smart is being a braggart." She told them coldly, before standing up. "I'll expect to hear that you've transferred him to another class by Monday. And if you have a problem accomidating our child's need, not only will he be pulled out of this school entirely, but I _will_ be calling the state to complain about your teachers."

With that, the conversation was over. Lorelai maintained her stony face as she walked through the school office, collected Liam, and left the school. As soon as they cleared the door, Lorelai let out a deep breath, reached in her purse to grab her cell phone, and called Rory. "Hey sweets. Listen, I need you to watch your brother this afternoon, your da and I have to have a talk. No, everything's fine, we just need to discuss a few things alone. Yeah. No, I'll bring him to you. The gazebo, right? Alright. I'm almost there. Alright hon, I love you too." Lorelai sighed.

As they walked in silence to the gazebo, or, well, Lorelai walked a rather sedate pace, and Liam was running full speed ahead, Lorelai brooded. She didn't do it often, but when she did, she preferred to do it alone. And as it so happened, the bar was closed at the moment, and while it opened in an hour, she didn't necessarily need to be there right when it opened. It gave her enough time to get a good brood done and over with before she was needed again.

As she reached the gazebo, Lorelai paused for a moment. There, sitting at the gazebo, book in her hands, was her daughter. Or, at least, she thinks it's her daughter. The girl there has the same pink Kool-Aid streaks in her hair that she'd added over the weekend. Jax had managed to get away with only lime streaks, but it was enough to get him mocked by the guys. But there was something different about Rory. She was talking, and laughing, with another teenaged girl. Now, Lorelai had no qualms about Rory making friends, it was encouraged in fact, but nobody in Stars Hollow had made an attempt thus far.

Well, at least one of the Telford children was fitting in.

"Hey, sweets. Who's your new friend?" Lorelai asked as she approached the gazebo. Rory looked up, and grinned brightly. Lorelai blinked for a moment, Rory usually saved that particular look for Opie or Jax. But even so, Jax's last visit hadn't been a particularly happy one, because all three of her children were rather depressed. Or, well, four, because she was willing to bet Opie wasn't having a good time either.

Lorelai pasted a smile on her face. Rory gave her a searching look, but thankfully didn't comment. "Mom, this is Lane Kim. Lane, this is my mom, Lorelai. And the little twerp is my little brother Liam." Rory added as Liam barrelled into Rory's side. Lorelai rolled her eyes a bit. "Lane, it's nice to meet you. Rory, don't call your brother a twerp. Liam, if you hit your sister one more time you're grounded for the rest of the weekend, it's not okay to hit people." Rory's brows furrowed a bit at this, but again, didn't say anything in front of Lane. Lorelai silently let out a breath.

"So, mom, I was thinking of going to a movie with Tristan later, do you want me to bring Liam?" Rory asked. Lorelai nodded quickly, the smile becoming a little more genuine. "Please. I need to stop by the bar tonight. But first, I need to go home and take a nap, I'm tired. And then your dad and I need to discuss a few things when he gets home. If you're back by midnight, that should be enough time. And, if you could stop by the bar after that, I could probably find something for you to do." Rory nodded. "Thanks sweets. Alright, be good kiddo. And Lane, it was good to meet you, and I'd love to meet your parents, tell them to give me a call when they get a chance. Rory has the number. Alright. Bye you two, don't get into trouble." Lorelai smiled, and waved, and started off for the house.

Rory watched her mother walk for a moment, before pulling out her cell phone and calling Chibs. "Hey da, it's me. Yeah. I'm not sure, but mom just dropped Liam off with me, and she seemed...off. She said she was going home to take a nap before heading to the bar. Yeah. No, she didn't really seem tired, just...off. Yeah yeah yeah. Whatever. You're lame! Okay. Alright. Liam and I are going to a movie with Tristan later, but we'll be back by midnight. Yeah. Tha gaol agam ort. Bye da."

Rory became aware of Lane's stare, and turned to look at her new friend. "What?"

(-)

Chibs silently opened the front door to the house, and stepped inside. He could hear Lorelai in the kitchen, and the sound of ice cubes clinking into a glass. "Lore?" He called, heading into the kitchen. Lorelai hummed a noise in response, and when Chibs walked into the kitchen he saw her leaning against a counter drinking a glass of water. "Is everything okay? Rory called me, she said ya sounded off."

Lorelai looked up at him, set her glass on the counter, and walked straight towards him. Chibs opened his arms, and she walked straight into his chest. Chibs wrapped his arms around her shoulders, and held her there for a moment. "Alright, what's wrong? Did something happen to Richard? One of the kids? Lorelai? What's wrong, my siren?"

"We have completely screwed up our kids lives!" Lorelai exclaimed, pushing back from Chibs to pace the kitchen. "I mean, honestly! I knew I was always destined to screw up Rory from the moment I found out I was pregnant, but when we moved to Charming I figured that being around Gemma and Jax and Opie and the guys we'd be okay! I mean, things were fine in Charming, I didn't feel like my children were freaks, like I was a freak, like my entire family is on the set of 'Freaks and Geeks!'"

Chibs wisely leaned against the counter and watched as his wife paced the kitchen, arms waving madly. Experience had taught him that she'd calm down eventually, she just needed to rant herself out. He also knew that if he dared to interrupt her, he'd face the consequences. "I mean, apparently, we've even screwed up Liam! I knew Rory didn't have a chance in hell, I mean, she's got the full whammy of Gilmore genes, but Liam? I always saw him as the prodigy normal child! Rory's the genius, but Liam was going to be normal! He got normal grades, he had a lot of friends, he didn't hang around the garage all day, he never played pranks on anyone, unlike my other children. But no! He's a freak, just like the rest of us!

"Apparently, we made him too smart. Because he started reading at four years old, because Rory was teaching him addition and subtraction by four-and-a-half, because she taught him sign language as a baby, because his parents are such freaks, we've made our kid a freak! And Rory! I don't know what happened there. Rory's a genius, she was my saving grace, and she's a freak too! She goes to the big preppy smart school, but nobody likes her but the only bad boy in Hartford that reminds me way too much of Christopher. And she finally makes a friend, but then I probably scared the kid away walking up dressed like this. And I show up to school on Rory's first day showing off my tattoos." Lorelai babbled, before she slapped a hand over her mouth. She whirled to look at Chibs with wide eyes.

Chibs stood up straight. That was never a good look. That was her 'oh my God I just realized something' look. It was usually followed by a brand of crazy logic that was even more crazy than Lorelai's usual brand of logic. "Lore, whatever you're thinking, stop. It's not true and you know it." Chibs told her forcefully, pushing off the counter and walking towards her.

Lorelai backed up, crashing into the kitchen table. "No, I just figured it all out! It's me! I screwed up my kids! I alienated my kids! I showed up at Rory's school with my tattoos, and made it harder for her to prove that she's not a freak! I went to Liam's school looking like this!" Lorelai exclaimed, guesturing to her outfit of a black halter top and black slacks. "They all probably think I'm a shameless hussy streetwalker who ensnared the innocent, unsuspecting Scotsman who fixes cars, and who is completely screwing up her kids' lives!"

Chibs groaned, and turned to grab the phone. "Really, babe, you should have walked away when you had the chance! Maybe gone back to Fiona and Kerrianne." At this statement, Chibs' head snapped up and he stared in disbelief. Then he narrowed his eyes, dialed the phone, and set it to speakerphone. Then, setting it down on the table, he didn't listen to the person answering on the other end. "Now you listen to me, Lorelai Victoria Gilmore-Telford. I will only say this once. You are a damned amazing mother, and nobody can make you feel otherwise. If the teachers at Stars Hollow Elementary think that Liam is a freak, then fine, let them. We'll pull him out and homeschool him. If those bastards at Chilton think Rory's a freak, then they'll have all of SAMCRO on their asses and we'll sue them for harassment and mental abuse on a minor.

"And if I ever hear you talk of my leaving you for Fiona and Kerrianne, you can bet your sweet little ass that there will be punishment. You are mine, Lorelai Telford, and I'm the jealous type. Now sit your ass in that chair, pick up the phone, and talk to Gemma while I go work off some steam before I do something stupid." Chibs told Lorelai, before sliding his hand behind her neck and pulling her face forward into a rough kiss. Lorelai froze, but soon melted into the kiss. Then, just as rough as the kiss started, Chibs broke away and strode out of the house onto the back porch, where they had the punching bag hanging. The door slammed behind him, and Lorelai stood still for a moment, eyes closed and brain fuzzy, until finally grabbing the cordless phone and sat down in the chair to talk to Gemma.

(-)

By the time Rory arrived at her mother's bar that night, it was a little after eleven. Tristan had dropped her off at home, and she'd promptly put Liam to bed, clothes and all, mainly because he'd fallen asleep somewhere around nine o' clock or so. Then, after changing into something more bar-appropriate, she'd given Chibs a kiss on the cheek and walked through town. It amused Rory to no end that the 24-hour convenience store in town closed at ten.

The fact that Rory could walk through town, alone, at eleven o' clock at night was nothing new. Back in Charming, everyone knew she was Chibs Telford's daughter and Opie Winston's girlfriend, along with Jax Teller's adopted sister. Nobody was stupid enough to try anything with her. And if they did, well, she'd been taking kickboxing classes since she was ten. Besides, Police Chief Unser usually had someone tailing her at all times, and even Deputy Chief Hale liked her, despite hating her entire family.

And in Stars Hollow, well, there was no crime to speak of. She still didn't understand it, but she was beginning to accept it.

Smiling at the bouncer, Rory stepped through the door to the bar. She knew she was the only teenager allowed in the pub after ten o' clock, and her mother had a sixth sense for fake id's. Mainly because she'd owned several.

Being the only bar in Stars Hollow and the surrounding four towns, it usually did good business. Unfortunately, while the previous owner didn't lack for sales, he was absolutely horrible at bookkeeping, and didn't know the first thing about managing a business. When Lorelai took it over, she toyed with the idea of closing down and doing a complete overhaul, but ultimately decided that she needed to get the books straightened out first before she did anything major. She did, however, enforce a strict rule that every tab had to be paid before the person left the bar, and that keys be surrendered after the third drink of the night.

If not, well, that's one of the reasons she hired the bouncer, and had the local sheriff on speed-dial.

As usual, for a Thursday night, the bar wasn't packed but there were definitely a lot of the usual suspects. Rory smiled at a couple, and made her way to the front. "Hey Sam, is my mom in back?" She asked the bartender. Sam Harrison was in his forties, an Irish immigrant from Boston that her mother had hired shortly after taking over. Rory liked him mainly because of his Irish accent, reminding her of her Uncle Seamus in Belfast. "Yeah, go on back Rory. She's been waiting for you."

Thanking him, Rory slipped past the bar and headed for the back office. She grinned when she noticed her mother yelling at the computer. "It's not going to respond to you yelling, you know. It's an inanimate object." She told her. Lorelai spared her a tired grin, and shook her head. "Yeah, but it makes me feel better."

"So, are you feeling better? I'm sorry I sicced Da on you earlier, but you just seemed...off."

"Yeah, kid. Sorry. I'd just come from Liam's school, apparently since you taught him his three R's it's turned him into a braggart. I just needed to have a freakout. It's good that you called Chibs, otherwise my freakout would have been a lot worse." Lorelai admitted, favoring her oldest with a sheepish smile. Rory frowned, and went over to give her mother a hug. "Well, if they have a problem, then screw 'em. They don't know us or our family, so they get no say."

"Babe...you don't hate me for bringing you out to Connecticut, do you?" Lorelai asked her daughter. Rory pulled back and gave her mom a puzzled look. "I mean, with all you're going through, with Opie, and the arrest. I know Chibs and I never really gave you a vote about whether to move out here, and I just want to make sure you don't resent us for doing this."

Rory's eyes widened. "No, of course not! God, how could you even think it?" Shaking her head, she leaned in to hug her mother again. "Mom, that's absolutely crazy!"

"Because, I know you could have stayed with Gemma and Clay, or maybe even in the-"

"Mom! Stop that! No, of course I don't resent you! I was worried about Grampa too! If you recall, we decided to move out here before Opie got arrested. And Opie and I had plans for him to move out here anyway. He was gonna get a job and an apartment, and he was gonna move out here with us." Rory's eyes misted over, but she sucked in a breath and kept going. "Mom, it didn't matter that you didn't give me a vote. I would have said I was coming with you anyway. You know that I couldn't be away from you that long anyway. We're too freakishly attached." Rory teased. Lorelai finally smiled. "I love you, mom." Rory said, sitting on Lorelai's lap and curling up to her for a moment.

Lorelai sighed, and wrapped her arms around her oldest. "I love you too, babe. So much."

(-)

END

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A/N: Alright, I've gotten out of the habit of doing these, but I feel like I need to say a few things. Firstly, I would like to thank everyone who has read this story from the bottom of my heard, and apologize profusely for the lateness in which I've gotten this chapter out. It's been written for ages, and in fact I've written up to the eighth chapter, but I was re-reading the sixth for errors and I decided to keep the first part and the last part but get rid of everything in between because it was very short and I just didn't like it. It's taken me about six months, but I've finally finished the sixth chapter, and I just have a few editing problems to the seventh chapter and to finish the eighth. I am attempting to keep ahead of this story by a couple chapters before updating, which means things will be slow as life, writers' block and attempting to write a fictional novel get in my way. However, rest assured that I will not abandon this story, and, in fact, I am starting to write two sequels and a prequel to this, but they will be a long time coming as I still have four and a half years to cover with this one before the next, and about six or seven more before the third and final part of the trilogy.

But thank you, again, so much for your encouragement and reviews! I'll try my hardest not to be one of those writers that gets people hooked and then never finishes the story ;)


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